How Hotels Are Fighting Food Waste

Hotels’ buffets – the huge spread of food in bottomless trays to fill the tummies of hungry customers.

But do you know that the hotels are a large contributing factor to food waste every year? Food waste is responsible for $1.25 trillion in economic losses globally and contributes to 8% of the greenhouse gasses emissions.

So what can Hotels do?

There are a few hotels in Singapore taking a stand towards reducing their food waste through various methods.

Offering Food at a Lower Price

Treatsure, is an application for users to pack food for $10 from the hotels’ buffet line before the hotel buffet line closes. Hotels like Novotel have since joined the application as merchants partners and the list is definitely growing.

Though this may not affect the amount of food being served at the buffet lines, this initiative will definitely allow hotels to cut down the amount of food thrown away after each buffet service.

Going Miles with Food Waste

Swissotel The Stamford turned food scraps into organic fertilizer for the hotel’s own herb garden – which supplies some herbs and ingredients to the hotel’s food and beverage offerings. This technology proves to be successful in reducing food waste as seen by the reduction of 22.7% in food waste from 2013 to 2014.

Another interesting way to reduce food waste and carbon footprint was adopted by The Westin back in 2014 – where waste cooking oil was used to power limousine used by the Hotel to chauffeur their hotel guests around. Though there has been no update on this 3-year project with Alpha Biofuels, it is a note-worthy mention to show that there are indeed various methods that can be done to reduce food waste.

Doing Good with Food

Excess food can also be donated, as demonstrated by Marina Bay Sands. In 2016, Marina Bay Sands has been donating excess food to The Food Bank’s perishable food redistribution program.

Cooked food has to be blast-frozen and have to be consumed on the same day – so, it is usually sent to beneficiaries where the chef will reheat and redistribute the food. This way, no food will be wasted and the risk of food-related sickness will be reduced.

What’s In It for you to Reduce Food Waste?

According to a study by Champions 12.3 coalition, it is found that for every $1 saved from the reduction of food wastage, the hotel can save up to $7 in operation costs – translating to cost savings and increased profits for the hotel.

Also, reducing food wastage can also help your hotels reduce their carbon footprint and be more sustainable. Do your part for the environment and take small steps in reducing food wastage today!